Conspiracy Island facts for kids
Conspiracy Island is a small, privately owned tidal island located in the Assonet River. You can find it near Berkley, Massachusetts.
What is a tidal island? It's a special kind of island that sometimes connects to the mainland! When the ocean tide is very low, Conspiracy Island becomes a peninsula. This means you can walk across a sandy path from a nearby beach right to the island. When the tide comes back in, it becomes an island again.
According to a count of people done in 2000, called a census, no one lives permanently on Conspiracy Island.
Contents
Exploring Conspiracy Island
A Mysterious Name: Conspiracy Island's History
The name "Conspiracy Island" has a cool story! A book from 1890, called A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts, talks about the history of places in Massachusetts. It suggests that Conspiracy Island might have gotten its name because of its connection to a famous Native American leader named Metacomet, also known as King Philip.
There's a local legend from Berkley that says in 1675, King Philip met with other leaders on Conspiracy Island. They supposedly formed a group, or "confederacy," there. This meeting was part of the events leading up to a big conflict called King Philip's War. Also in 1675, a man named Edward Bobbet (or Babbitt) was the first white person in the area to be killed by Native Americans during this war.
Where is Conspiracy Island?
The Town of Berkley Board of Assessors says that Conspiracy Island is about 0.75 acres (3,000 m2) in size. That's about the size of three-quarters of a football field! The island is mostly covered in grass, and you can also see a few small cedar trees growing there.
Who Lives on Conspiracy Island?
No one lives on Conspiracy Island permanently, and it hasn't been developed with buildings or roads. The people who own the island use it for fun activities like camping and swimming. Even though it's private property and public access isn't allowed, many people still visit the island.
